Slowly Falling
by Elvish Presley
Summary: Everyone knew that they were practically perfectly matched for each other. On their journeys to becoming top heroes, feelings of mutual respect and admiration grow into something more. This is the collection of moments leading up to Todoroki and Yaoyorozu falling in love, filled with lots of fluff and unrealized feelings.
1. Chapter 1

It being her third time attending, Momo had grown quite fond and comfortable with the once foreign scenery. Now, it was one of her favorite places to silently protect and scan for evil-doers. Seeing as he had asked her to attend the event with him like the year before, Momo smiled inwardly at the thought that Todoroki had grown attached to the Ennichi festival as well. It seemed to be a sort of tradition between the two now, and she wondered optimistically if this would continue post graduation as well.

"Todoroki-san," she smiled genuinely as she came up to her classmate, giving him a small wave as she greeted him. She wore an intricately decorated red yukata, donning a simple flower ornament in her tied back hair.

"Yaoyorozu."

_She looks beautiful. _

"It looks good on you," he commented. His expression was unphased, as if he had casually stated something as objective as the sky being blue.

"Ah.. Thank you," she answered, blushing slightly. Without fail, he complimented her every year during the festival without the slightest degree of embarrassment.

The two made their way into the festival once more, entering the bustling crowd. An hour flew by as they were swept away by the flow of the crowd, curiously stopping at various vendors.

Yaoyorozu watched as the half-cold half-hot hero walked slightly ahead of her, eyes scanning up his broad shoulders to his signature hair. Since the first meeting at the beginning of their hero academia, Shouto had grown a few more inches taller than her. Three years had passed since then, and their rigorous training was evident in his muscular, lean figure. She wondered if being at UA had changed her as much as it seemed to change the young man in front of her.

Despite being surrounded by the wonderful sight of delicate lanterns and lively stalls, she couldn't help but feel slightly distracted. By now she had grown accustomed to people, especially girls, noticing Todoroki. She had her fair share of fans murmuring about her as she walked by, however his easily identifiable red-white hair and boast-worthy skills made him a hot topic anywhere he went. Not to mention the pure fact he was undeniably handsome despite his scar. It came as no surprise that his female fanbase would explode as the years passed (exponentially during UA tournaments), and excited murmurs would surround him. None of the flirtatious comments ever seemed to reach his ears, though. Momo usually did the same by only half-listening to unnecessary background murmur.

That night, one conversation in particular caught her attention more than others.

"Hey- aren't those two from UA?"

"Yeah! Wait, that's Shouto and Creati! No way, are they dating?"

Continuing to walk as if she hadn't heard any of it, Momo tried and failed to fight away a blush that was creeping onto her cheeks. That certainly wasn't the first time she heard that, but the incident immediately triggered her thoughts back to a phone conversation with her mother a few nights ago.

"**Momo, are you coming home this weekend to visit?"**

"**Ah, yes, but I will be busy on Friday evening."**

"**I see, are you meeting with your friends?"**

"**Yes," Momo paused before confessing, "I will be going to the Ennichi Festival with Todoroki-san. I-I-I'll be patrolling for evil." She waited nervously for her mother's reply, knowing she did not particularly care for festivals.**

"**Ah, is it just you two?"**

"**Yes, mother."**

"**...Oh my, are you two are going on a date?"**

"**Eh?" The thought hadn't even crossed her mind till her mother mentioned it. "N-no, it's nothing like that…"**

"**Really?"**

"**I'm sure he didn't mean it like that when he asked," Momo explained, smiling through the awkwardness. **

Momo peeked up at Shouto, wondering if he had heard the gossiping fans as well. She returned her gaze to the floor, immersing herself in her thoughts once more. _No, I'm certain he didn't mean it in that context, anyway. Todoroki simply knows I am a reliable partner to attend the festival with, since I've gone with him before_.

As pro heroes in the making, romance was never a prominent thought. Momo herself was extremely committed to her goal. But, then again… That didn't mean she didn't see herself raising a loving family in the future though.

Sensing her slow gait, Shouto turned his head to glance at her.

"What is it?" He asked in his usual cooled voice, "Yaoyorozu." No matter how unrecognizably strong he may grow to become in his journey to becoming a top hero, Todoroki never showed any signs of conceit or cockyness. His unwavering calm demeanor never changed, he was still the same Todoroki Shouto class 1-A came to know and love. By default he seemed quiet and passive, but Yaoyorozu learned he was actually quite observant and picked up on the smallest things. For example, her slight uneasiness.

"I'm sorry, Todoroki-san," she replied in her usually polite tone, "It's nothing." Part of her was flattered he cared to notice something was out of place, but part of her preferred not to discuss the issue at hand.

He paused momentarily, gaze lingering over her slightly blushing expression before turning to look ahead of him as he continued walking. "Alright."

_Is she too hot? It's relatively cool outside though_, he pondered innocently.

Towards the middle of the festival was the famous best-selling takoyaki stand. Yaoyorozu easily remembered it from the previous year, seeing how the pathway grew more and more saturated with people as they neared it.

"Must be that takoyaki stand," Todoroki wondered aloud.

Yaoyorozu could barely hear him through the noise. "Yes.." she replied weakly. It was getting difficult to even follow her dual-quirked friend, requiring her concentration to find openings between the crowded figures. Yaoyorozu attempted to stick close to his back, using his larger stature as a shield. Her tactic failed when a couple of kids ran in between them, easily weaving through adults with their small bodies. She gasped slightly, seeing how quickly a stranger had filled the space between them in the short opening created by the children. Her eyes stayed glued on his white-red hair as she waited patiently for an opportunity to catch up to him.

A shoulder brushing by her roughly pulled her away from her concentration, causing her to lock eyes with the culprit.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized despite her innocence.

"Oh no, it was my fault," the young man said quickly, blinking down at her, "I didn't see you."

Yaoyorozu smiled, about to turn back to look for her classmate but was stopped by his continuation of speech.

"You look absolutely stunning. I feel bad for bumping into such a pretty girl like you. Let me buy you a treat."

"Huh? O-Oh," she stammered, "Thank you, but…"

"Don't worry, I insist," he grinned, reaching out to lay a hand on her shoulder. He froze when his eyes met a pair of blue and black eyes piercing into him.

"Sorry, she's with me."

Yaoyorozu recognized his calm, cold voice behind his shoulder. She looked up to see that Shouto had returned to her, staring icily at the stranger.

"S-sorry," he blurted immediately, "Enjoy your evening." The stranger left promptly, rubbing his neck nervously.

"Todoroki-san," she greeted him once more, turning to face him. Her eyes landed on his outstretched arm, palm open and waiting for her.

"You keep getting swept away."

Yaoyorozu blushed slightly, looking up to meet his calm gaze. He watched her patiently as the gears turned in her head.

When it comes to sticking together, linking up to each other is the best strategy against separation.

"Ah," she replied softly, placing her slender hand in his. Yaoyorozu gave him a warm smile. "Thank you, Todoroki-san."

His fingers closed around her hand as he brought it to his side, urging Momo near him. As they started making their way through the crowd, more thoughts began to dawn on her. She peered down at their joined hands, feeling heat creeping up to her cheeks slowly as the voices of gossip replayed in her mind. Momo started to feel self conscious, scanning around for judgmental eyes as she walked.

_He's trying to protect me, but this might give off the wrong impression. I better separate from him once the crowd thins. I don't want to burden Todoroki-san with any fuel for gossip._

She stole a glance at him, observing the side of his face and feeling her heart sink in her chest. Momo placed a hand over the ache, thrown off by the unfamiliar sensation.

_Oh, my. Did I eat something weird?_ Momo started to recount all the foods she had sampled during their evening, attempting to figure out the cause of her symptoms.

"You okay?" He glanced back at her.

He really did not let anything go unnoticed. "Yes, I'm alright. I was feeling a little odd earlier but it seems to have gone away," she explained. "Oh, it seems like the area is more spacious here."

Todoroki broke eye contact to observe the truth in her sentence. He looked at her once more as he felt her grip on his hand loosen.

"Thank you, we made it," she grinned up at him.

"Ah," he replied softly, taking the hint to let go of her hand now. For some reason, he couldn't reciprocate her apparent feelings of happiness.

… _He must be relieved now,_ she thought to herself as she continued their walk. Todoroki paused for a moment before following next to her. His hand twitched slightly.

As the conclusion of the festival neared, the two grabbed food and sat on a stone bench in anticipation of the ending fireworks. Todoroki paid for her as thanks for attending the festival with him, smoothly telling the vendor he was paying for both meals before Yaoyorozu could even say anything. They ate in a peaceful silence, watching people playing mini-games at nearby stalls and spending their paychecks on copious amounts of food. Momo was slightly less talkative, poking at her noodles absentmindedly.

Todoroki was her dear comrade and friend, and she would trust him with her life if she needed to. Knowing this, she couldn't help feeling guilty for concealing her worries. She sighed slightly.

"Todoroki-san," she started, hesitating as she felt him peering over at her curiously. "Do you ever think that… coming to the Ennichi festival with me might be a bad thing?"

"Hm? Why," he asked, genuinely confused by her question, "You mean you don't enjoy it?"

"No, no-" she quickly replied, "I enjoy it every year. But… sometimes…"

Todoroki set his chopsticks down in his paper bowl, listening respectfully to her concerns.

"I would never misinterpret your intentions of inviting me to the festival, but I've been beginning to worry that some people will," she explained, "You've amassed quite a large reputation now, and many agencies have their eyes on you. Especially it being our last year at UA, it might not be a good thing if rumors were to spread."

"It wouldn't be a bad thing," he said simply.

"Hm?" she blinked at him.

"A rumor like that wouldn't be a bad thing," he clarified, "You've grown a lot, Yaoyorozu. You're probably one of the best heroes to be associated with."

She didn't question whether or not he had interpreted her question correctly, she was too overwhelmed by the burst of happiness washing over her. Her respect for Todoroki had only grown stronger and stronger, and hearing those words coming from him was a monumental complement. Yaoyorozu was immediately reminded of their final exam with Aizawa sensei, realizing just how important this person was to her. He never failed to boost her confidence.

"Thank you," she said, meeting his gaze with heartfelt eyes. She was smiling up at him brightly, purely admiring her teammate and thanking the stars he was put in her path. "For everything."

Shouto was completely captured by her expression, brushing away the urge to reach out and touch her lightly blushing cheeks. He reciprocated his thanks with one of his rare smiles, and Yaoyorozu felt the familiar ache in her chest returning.


	2. Chapter 2

Now that they had passed graduation, the closely bonded class of UA made it a point to have a reunion near major holidays. It was almost Christmas, and the group had decided on meeting the day before Christmas Eve. Shouto had been busy working at his father's hero agency, and was looking forward to the much-needed break surrounded by his … well, they were pretty much like family now. His attention was pulled away from his boring standard paperwork when his co-worker and now friend called his name.

"Oi… Aren't you close with Creati?"

His gaze shifted towards the doorway, looking at the shapeshifting hero peeking his head in.

"Yes… Why?" He hasn't seen her for a couple months, but he wouldn't say that it dampened their relationship at all. Occasionally he would find himself thinking back to what it was like being around her as his mind wandered during patrols or paperwork.

"You should marry her soon."

Todoroki blinked at him, confused. "What?"

"Have you seen this?" He entered the room, walking up to Shouto with a magazine in hand. His eyes were drawn immediately to the familiar onyx eyes on the front cover, staring back at him. It was the latest issue of the official Hero Magazine, sporting all the latest news and gossip about town favorites. Yaoyorozu was posed shyly but cutely on the glossy page, sporting a wintery look with her long raven hair streaming perfectly down a gingham button-up jacket. "She just got voted 'Most Beautiful Hero of Our Time'."

Quite honestly, it only surprised him for all of three seconds. He wasn't blind. Shouto knew his dear friend and comrade was absolutely gorgeous. During several instances where they found themselves working alongside each other to restore peace in a city, Todoroki caught himself dodging near-miss dangerous situations caused by a lack of attention from staring at his attractive team-mate.

"Marry?.." he questioned absentmindedly.

"Lots of people ship you two together, you know," he said, dropping the magazine on his desk before making his way back out of the room. Todoroki almost instinctively pushed it away, knowing it would be a threatening source of distraction from his work.

"Ship?" he frowned, confused by the terminology.

"Y'know, like, romantic relation'ship's?" he explained as he exited the doorway and got back to his own work, leaving Todoroki to his thoughts. Attempting to get back to work, he picked up his pen once more and stared at the daunting paragraph before him.

He knew about people gossiping about them being together, especially after public sightings with them standing next to each other. In the past he never paid much attention to it though, because he was way too focused on his hero studies. He never thought of himself in a romantic context, so he never investigated his deep-rooted feelings of respect and admiration for the intelligent and beautiful creation hero. His eyes wandered back to the magazine. There was no doubt in his mind that Yaoyorozu would make the perfect wife, and whoever marries her would be VERY lucky.

Shouto was listening contently to his goody-two-shoe ex-class president recounting his last adventure at his hero agency, complaining about a breach in protocol from one of his interning underlings. The girls at the other end of the table were having a conversation of their own, talking about their respective experiences and how much they had missed each other. The guys were less expressive towards the gushy feelings of the loneliness of separation, but nonetheless dealt with the same subtle feeling that something was missing. It was easy to see that every single one of them looked forward to days like these, despite the happiness of where each of them were currently. Approximately half the group had arrived so far. Todoroki's eyes wandered in unconscious anticipation for the raven haired hero that had been on his mind for a few days now.

"Yaomomo!" Her nickname was squealed happily at her entrance. His gaze immediately shot towards the door, landing on the familiar pretty face. She smiled once she found the group sitting at a long private table in the restaurant. Todoroki felt his chest ache at the sight of her, a little confused at the feeling but too happy to really care. Ashido waved for her to come on over, grinning widely.

A light brown haired figure emerged from the doorway as well. "Huh? Who's that," the words slipped from Ochaco's mouth immediately as she saw him. Todoroki felt his mood flip completely as he identified the figure to be a male, standing a little too close to Momo to be dubbed as an unrelated stranger. He watched in silence as Momo turned to face the young man, thanking him and bowing slightly before turning away and heading towards the table without him. The way he stared fondly after her did not go unnoticed by the icy-hot hero. Shouto continued to watch him as he left, then turning to see Momo arriving at the table and hugging her friends happiness. He instinctively stood up to greet her, finding it regrettable that he couldn't shake the odd feeling of bitterness. It was a rare feeling for him, only ever feeling distaste for a few people, such as his father or malicious villains.

"Todoroki-san," she greeted him sweetly smiling up at him, extending her hands for a hug as she came up to him.

"Yaoyorozu." Shouto met her half-way, leaning down slightly to comfortably wrap his arms around her. Encased in his larger frame, Momo blushed slightly as she embraced the famous hero she knew so well.


End file.
